Improvement in grain-separators



L. LOW.

Grain Winnower.

Patnted March 30, 1869.

on M o w! 2 o 0 00 c o o o n o uu tn o o I. O O 0 Invev m z N. PETERS, Prado-Lithographer. Washington. 0. c.

LEONAR D LOW, OF PEORI A, ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent No. 88,396, dated March 30, 1869.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD Low, of the city of Peoria, in the county of Peoria, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Grain Separators; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view.

Figure 2, a vertical section.

Figure 3, a plan view.

Figure 4, a perspective view of two opposite quadrates of a screen.

Figure 5, elevation of one system of screens, chutes, and frame, with divisional panels and central spout.

Like letters in different figures and parts of the drawings indicate like parts.

Nature.

Y The nature of this invention consists- First, in using an iron shaft instead of the wooden shaft (B, in that specification,) and enclosing the shaft in a perpendicular wooden spout, or air-passage, around which are arranged similar screens and chutes, and still combining the centripetal and centrifugal principles of the first machine.

Second,.instead of the screens inclining to and discharging the screenings near the shaft, I now incline them toward the outside of the machine.

Third, instead of inclining the chutes under each screen, I now make the chutes incline, and return the wheat toward the centre of the machine, or the highest part of screen below each chute.

Fourth, instead of the separate discharge for the wheat at the bottom of the machine, I now convey the cleaned wheat, by means of the bottom chute, through an opening, into the suction-spout at'the centre of the machine.

Fifth, I do not use the hopper Z, nor the hopper L, northe device for adjusting the inclination of the screens at the centre of the shaft.

Construction.

A is a vertical wooden spout, supported on the arms d of the shaft t, having. four (4) projecting panels, 0, o", a, and 0*, between the four (4) divisions of each screen.

B is a fan and casing, for causing draught through spout A and 0; though which the grain is admitted.

G is a spout through which the grainis supplied to hopper It It, and through which a strong current of air is drawn upward by the fan.

D is the rectangular frame of the machine, supporting the fan B, bridge g, of shaft t,-&c.

a, a, a a, and a are screens, of metal or other material, in four (4) quadrants, commencing at spout A, and filling-the divisions between the panels o, 0 0 and o, and to which panels the edges are bent, and nailed.

The circular edge of each quadrant-formed screen is fastened to and supported by the wooden segment, or support a, an elevation of which see at fig. 5. The screens all incline gently toward their outward edge, and terminate at the inclined channel q, sunk. in the wooden segment "a. This channel, commencing on one edge of a sieve, runs half way round the same, where it is met by a similar inclined way coming in the opposite direction. Both discharge the cats and refuse through a hole in the hoop p, enclosing each of the four quadrantshaped screens, which also forms the outer wall of the said channel q. The perforations in the screens may be scant one-fourth (i) inch in diame- 6-61.

I) to b are chutes, or inclined plates, to return the grain to the upper edge of the screen next below. They are fastened at their circular edges to the under side of the wooden segments a, and incline toward and terminate at a short distance from spout A, where they discharge the grain on the next screen. The other edges are fastened to the panel 0. The screens, chutes, and wooden segments, to which they are fastened, may be seen clearly in fig. 4. of the drawings.

(1 are the iron arms, supporting the wooden spoutA with its screens. 6

l, shaking-attachment, driven by shaft and pulley f, and attached at the other end to the base of the spout A.

f is a pulley, for oscillating the shaker e.

g, bridge, supporting upper end of shaft t, screens, 85c.

71 spout, supplying the grain to the air-passage O.

i, the discharge-spout of fan is, supplying grain to the screens.

I, one of the spouts for discharging the screenings; another is on the other side of fan.

m is a valve, for regulating the blast.

n, the discharge of cleaned grain; also the entrance of suction. I 0, panels, dividing the screens or quadrates of the same, but perforated at the channels q, for the passage of the refuse oats, 85c.

p, hoops, binding the wooden segments, and forming outward wall of channel q.

q, the channels in segments a, for carrying oh the refuse oats, 850., which areshaken down the inclined screen, and are discharged through the hole in hoop p.

'r is a shaking-attachment.

s, pulley for working the fan, and driving the machine.

t is the shaft, carrying spout A and arms.

a, the wooden segments, supporting the screens and chutes.

as, opening in the spout, to receive the grain from the last chute.

Operation.

The grain being admitted through spout G, and against the current of air drawn up by the fan, is .partially cleaned before it reaches the first screen a, where it falls through the holes therein, the oats and other refuse sliding, by the oscillating motion of the screens, into the inclined channel q, where they are discharged.

The grain, on falling through the screen, reaches the chute b, from which it is returned to the top of the next screen below a and so on, until it reaches the last chute b whence it is discharged, cleaned, into the blast coming up through spout A.

The advantages, of this machine'are, effectiveness, cheapness of construction, durability, and strength, and its work is done faster than other machines of similar dimensions.

0' laims.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination of the inclined sieves, or screens a and chutes b, in quadratesets, with the centre-spout A, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as 7 

